This bearing assembly is for use with pivots and more particularly for use in rotary suspension systems requiring minimal bearing friction and minimal change therein.
Various types of pivot and jewel bearings are known which have been mounted in shock absorbent materials for protecting the bearing surfaces from damage when subjected to high shock and vibration levels. When subjected to wide variations in temperature range, these bearings have invariably exhibited a high degree of preload variation extending from total removal of bearing preload and resulting looseness along the pivot axis to marked increase in bearing preload and resulting high bearing rotational friction levels. Thus, known bearing assemblies with elastomeric isolation from shock and vibraton lose preload when cooled from the temperature at which they were adjusted due to contraction of the elastomer and, due to expansion of the elastomer, the preload increases drastically when the temperature is increased above the temperature of initial adjustment.
A shock and vibration isolated bearing is needed which provides compensation for temperature induced preload change due to temperature dependent dimensional characteristics of the shock absorbent member.